Hope is a dangerous occupation (repost)

HOPE is a dangerous occupation. Sometimes you have to pay a high price for the resolution to HOPE. There is no way to calculate what the cost will be. Whatever you spend, the value of HOPE will exceed the cost. HOPE is a bargain at any price. HOPE works with Faith when you can not bear the pressure on you, the two of them will hold you up and give you strength until you can stand alone again. Faith is your surprise bonus gift when you concentrate on HOPE. I live with HOPE every day. Even when Despair and Fear try to seduce me with their blame games, why me’s and what if’s. Even when the future is a shadow instead of a light. I know that whatever happens in the numerous milestones I am crossing right now, that it is going to be for the best. I've left it in God's hands. Good Hands. Better than mine, at least I'm hoping. Sometimes it feels kind of like when I had the surgery on my hands. My thumbs were completely useless before it happened. I was in constant severe pain. Everything I tried to do was an exercise in faith because I was as likely to drop something as to keep holding on. I knew what I needed but I was afraid to do it. I did it anyway. I had HOPE for a miracle, even though one wasn't promised. FEAR (another four letter word) is the truest opposite of HOPE. Fear takes away joy. HOPE brings it. Fear prevents us from planning. HOPE demands it. Fear smothers us and holds us down. HOPE sets us free. After I had the surgery my thumbs were completely useless. I was in constant severe pain. Everyting I tried to do was an exercise in faith because I was as likely to drop something as to keep holding on. Not much difference at first. I wondered why I had the stupid surgery for a couple of months. It wasn't cheap. I had to put my life on hold for 12 weeks all told (and it probably should have been longer). Then slowly the pain eased. I was able to regain maybe 80-90% of the use of my thumbs again. The pain went away. I still drop things once in a while, but for the most part I can hang on. These hands of mine still work, sometimes differently, but they can get what I need done. Yeah, I had therapy then, and I may need another type of therapy for my present *surgeries* eventually but at least I can hang on. I'm not afraid of cutting into myself and repairing the damage anymore. A healed injury is better than a gaping wound. Scars fade and we relearn what we can not repeat. Body and spirit are not that different. Hope heals both.